Four days after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a State of Emergency in Rivers State, an unusual coldness still pervades the state. Activities at the Government House, Port Harcourt, were paused on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, immediately President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu; and members of the state House of Assembly following a protracted political crisis.

Close monitoring by The Guardian showed that movement of files, memos and even payments were suspended at the Government House. The Brick House, which was usually a beehive of activities, suddenly became calm.

Similar calmness was witnessed across the state. Though business activities and vehicular movement have continued unabated, the streets are yet to regain their usual bustling.

The low mood among the residents was glaring, as people were seen in groups discussing the development; a clear consequence of the intractable political conflict between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The Sole Administrator of state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), while resuming duty on Thursday, confirmed that the state was “calm and peaceful.” He stated that he aims to get the state back to where it had always been, warning trouble makers to reconsider any action that would be inimical to the peace, progress and economic stability of the state.

Ibas appeared calm and willing to quell the tension and political unrest in the state. However, considering the polarisation of the state, with Wike and Fubara’s loyalists seemingly unwilling to shift grounds, he may have to hold a stakeholders meeting with both political camps towards moving the state forward.

Meanwhile, residents and groups including human rights activists, the Ijaw National Congress (INC), political activists, among others, have insisted that his appointment was illegal. They, therefore, refused to list their expectations from him.

A resident, Peter Mazi, who is the Programmes and Communications Manager, Social Action, said he couldn’t set an agenda for the sole administrator because his appointment has no place in law. “I condemn in totality what the president has done. It has no place in law,” he insisted.

Similarly, the Ijaw National Congress (INC) also declined to speak on their expectations from the sole administrator, maintaining that the President erred in his action.

Spokesman of the INC, Ezonebi Oyakemeagbegha, said the crises experienced in northern states were far worse than what happened in Rivers State yet, the governors of the affected northern states were not removed. He, therefore, wondered why the state of emergency was declared and Fubara suspended from office.

The spokesman of Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) in the state, Sunny Dada, however, noted that listening to the president’s broadcast, it was clear that his agenda in Rivers State was purely for security reasons. He, therefore, urged the sole administrator to make efforts to reconcile the warring factions.

Dada said: “On a general note, what I expect him to do is that within one week, he should call for a stakeholders meeting drawn from Wike’s camp and the governor’s camp. They should be drawn from the camp of the elders that are loyal to Wike and those loyal to Fubara because the entire gate keeping structure of the state is polarised right now. He should become the statesman that was missing throughout the conflict because the elders that should have become statesmen took sides. So, his first step should be reconciling the v arious factions.”

Continuing, Dada said: “We look forward to who will become the Head of Service and Secretary to the State Government because they are the ones that will hold firm the cord of governance. The administrator’s focus should be to secure the economic inf rastructure within the creeks.”

A women leader in Ogoniland, Dr. Patient Osorojiji, said women were still shocked over the development, stating that they were watching and putting plans together on their next line of action.

Genesis of the crisis
Rivers State has been in a tense situation since October 31, 2023, when the battle between Fubara and his estranged godfather, Wike came to public domain. After several failed peace attempts, the crisis hit the rock on February 28,2025, when the Supreme Court almost validated the eight-point agreement earlier signed by the gladiators under the supervision of President Bola Tinubu.

Consequently, the crisis has led to several losses including properties, lives as well as damages to the national economy and security. The conflict exacerbated as the 27 lawmakers loyal to the minister appeared focused on frustrating the efforts of Fubara to implement the Supreme Court judgment, especially the representation of the 2025 budget.

A legal practitioner in the state and lecturer at the Rivers State University, Dr. Chukwuma Chinelo, who spoke on the current state of affairs in the state, said: “We saw this coming, and it is all about the ambition of the former governor who wanted to make the state his personal kingdom; he wants to run the state like his private estate. And I am sure that was very difficult for Fubara to cope with.

“Not even Wike’s son will endure what he wanted to do in Rivers State. So, it is a matter of selfish ambition and greed. He wanted Fubara out by all means. Unfortunately for us, the president does not want to see things in the light of the constitution, all geared towards the selfish interest of 2027.”

The political analyst said he was not surprised to see the president blame Fubara for the crisis. He alleged that a cabal has taken over the judiciary, the executive and legislative, stating that “Nigerians are actually helpless”.

He, however, warned: “The nation is helpless but the danger is that when you push the nation to that extent when the nation will say no; nobody can control them. That is what happened in the French Revolution we are talking about, even the Arab Spring. The day you think you have conquered everybody, when people will turnout nobody can hold them.”

Dada urged the president to rescind his decision and summon the gladiators to a round table dialogue. He said such a dialogue must not be seen to be lopsided.

On his part, former spokesman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Dr. Ken Robinson, said the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by the president was both imperative and inevitable.

He said the action would put an end to the unnecessary crisis, even as it has averted the potential loss of innocent lives and property in the state, as well as threats to the national economy and security.

A lecturer at the Department of Political Science, University of Port Harcourt, Dr. Obinna Wordi, said the zero sum nature of politics in Nigeria drives the selfish interest of Nigerian politicians, which resulted in the current situation in Rivers State.

He said: “To them, politics is all they can get for themselves, their families and cronies. This is the reason for the intractable political conflict that has brought us to where we are. The situation is now worrisome as justice is no longer seen to be fair and equitable but the advantage of the stronger over the weaker. It is money and connections that determine who is right or wrong in the polity.

“This is a dangerous trend for the future of Nigeria. Politicians must understand that politics is all about service to the people and not service to the pocket. Nigerians should be alive to their responsibilities and hold politicians to account.”